Creamy Vegan Pasta Salad
The best vegan pasta salad with an oil-free ranch dressing without mayo! Perfect for the grilling season in summer or as a side dish throughout the year. The recipe is plant-based (dairy-free, egg-free), healthy, protein-rich, light, guilt-free, and delicious!
Servings 6
Equipment
- Blender*
Ingredients
Pasta Salad:
- 10 oz (280 g) dry pasta of choice (gluten-free if needed)
- 1 green pepper (or color of choice) chopped
- 1 medium-sized onion diced
- 4 tomatoes diced
- 1 small cucumber diced
- 3/4 cup chopped dill pickles
- olives (optional)
Oil-Free Dressing:
- 1 (15 oz) can white beans rinsed and drained (*see notes)
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) plant-based milk
- 1/4 cup (40 g) hulled hemp seeds OR 1/3 cup of soaked cashews (*see notes)
- 2-4 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard or more to taste
- 1 tbsp lime juice or lemon juice
- 1 tbsp white vinegar or apple cider vinegar or more to taste
- 1/2 tsp sea salt + more to taste
- black pepper to taste
- fresh dill to taste
Instructions
- Cook your favorite pasta as per the instructions on the package.
- Add white beans, plant-based milk, hemp seeds (or soaked cashews), garlic cloves, mustard, lime juice, vinegar, and sea salt + black pepper to a blender. Blend on high speed and scrape down the sides if needed until the dressing is completely smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, chopped pepper, onion, tomatoes, cucumber, and dill pickles. Pour over the dressing and stir to combine.
- Taste and adjust seasonings. Add more salt/pepper/vinegar if needed. I added 1/2 tsp of sea salt in addition.
- Garnish with fresh herbs (e.g. dill) and serve at room temperature or cold. Enjoy! Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- You can use any white beans, e.g. Cannellini beans, Navy beans or Great Northern beans.
- If you don't have hemp seeds you can use either soaked cashews (soak in hot water for about 30 minutes or until soft) OR you could use 2 heaped tbsp of cashew butter or almond butter.
- If you love salads, you can also check out my Mexican Avocado Salad recipe.
- Recipe serves 4. Nutrition facts are for one serving.
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Vegan Pasta Salad
Amount per Serving
Calories
304
% Daily Value*
Fat
5.5
g
8
%
Carbohydrates
44
g
15
%
Fiber
9.7
g
39
%
Sugar
5
g
6
%
Protein
14.7
g
29
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.